GIVING BACK

Aggies CAN has grown into largeststudent-athlete run food drive in country

by Katelyn Mouser12th Man Productions

The time has come.

Aggies CAN is just around the corner and they are asking you to help contribute to a great cause by bringing a canned food to this weekend’s sporting events and help those in the Brazos Valley area.

Fans can bring a canned food item or make a monetary donation at this Friday night’s volleyball match vs Arkansas (6 p.m., Reed Arena) and/or soccer match against Ole Miss (8 p.m., Ellis Field), and by doing so can get in free.

Donations will also be accepted at multiple points around Kyle Field prior to and at the start of the Texas A&M/Vanderbilt game on Saturday morning.

Aggies CAN began in 2000, when a group of student-athletes wanted to give back to the community that had given so much to them. As a result, the student-athletes teamed up with Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and began asking fans to bring canned food items to one football game of the season.

And what began as a small group of athletes has evolved into the largest student-athlete run canned food drive in the nation. Aggies CAN is 100 percent run by A&M’s student-athletes, with a main goal of giving to the Brazos Valley Food Bank.

In addition, each year SAAC and Aggies CAN present a goal of how much money and cans they want to raise for the event, and every year Aggie fans have never disappointed. This year is expected to be anything but different.

In 2012, the groups raised more than $20,000 and collected more than 6,000 pounds of canned goods. This year, Aggies CAN’s goal is to raise $25,000 and 8,000 pounds of canned goods.

This fall Aggies CAN is teaming up with the Corps of Cadets, who will also be volunteering their time by helping collect cans and other donations along with the athletes.

Janell Lysack ’14, a member of the women’s golf team in her fourth year of being involved with Aggies CAN, explained that this move was another step in the direction of helping continue to bring together athletes and the rest of the campus.

The organization is also partnering with “12th Can”, an on-campus food drive initiative, for the second straight year.

“12th Can was started by John Claybrook, last year’s student body President,” Lysack said. “Basically his vision was being was being able to feed needy Aggies on campus…without asking any questions or having any cost to it, just a come-and-go food bank whenever (the students) needed lunches or dinners. We paired up with 12th Can last year and agreed to helping them start up this food bank on campus.

“12th Can is under the Brazos Valley Food Bank, and so our donations will be helping both, not one or the other. Everyone will benefit from it.”

Donations this year can be made at several Whataburger locations in town. Aggies CAN representatives will be at the Texas Ave. location in Bryan on Wednesday (Oct. 23) from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and at the Dominik Drive location in College Station on Thursday (Oct. 24) at the same times.

For every dollar donated or two canned goods, Whataburger will be giving a coupon for a free Whataburger. The first 15,000 people to give a monetary donation of at least $1 or donate two canned good items at soccer, volleyball or football will receive a coupon for a free Whataburger.

Texas A&M student-athletes and volunteers will be dressed in lime-green t-shirts, collecting your donations at Whataburger locations and sporting events.

Let’s #BTHOhunger by coming together to help Aggies CAN achieve their goal.